Walter Kaufmann (composer)
Encyclopedia
Walter Kaufmann was a composer
, conductor
, musicologist, and educator. Born in Karlsbad
, Bohemia
(at that time part of Austria-Hungary
), Kaufmann enjoyed a career that crossed international boundaries, taking him to Berlin
, Bombay
(now Mumbai), London
, and Canada
, before he settled in Bloomington, Indiana
, USA
in 1957. After 1945 he was not allowed to come back to Bohemia because of his German ethnicity. In 1964, he became a naturalized
U.S. citizen.
Kaufmann was noted for his study of Asian music
, specializing in the music of India
, Tibet
, and China
.
Kaufmann was the composer of an opera, The Scarlet Letter, which was very well received at its premiere by the Opera Department of the Indiana University
School of Music in the early 1960s.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, musicologist, and educator. Born in Karlsbad
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
, Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
(at that time part of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
), Kaufmann enjoyed a career that crossed international boundaries, taking him to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Bombay
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
(now Mumbai), London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, before he settled in Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1957. After 1945 he was not allowed to come back to Bohemia because of his German ethnicity. In 1964, he became a naturalized
United States nationality law
Article I, section 8, clause 4 of the United States Constitution expressly gives the United States Congress the power to establish a uniform rule of naturalization. The Immigration and Naturalization Act sets forth the legal requirements for the acquisition of, and divestiture from, citizenship of...
U.S. citizen.
Kaufmann was noted for his study of Asian music
Asian music
Asian music encompasses numerous different musical styles originating from a large number of Asian countries.Musical traditions in Asia* Music of Central Asia** Music of Afghanistan** Music of Kazakhstan** Music of Mongolia** Music of Uzbekistan...
, specializing in the music of India
Music of India
The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, classical music and R&B. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and developed over several eras. It remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as...
, Tibet
Music of Tibet
The music of Tibet reflects the cultural heritage of the trans-Himalayan region, centered in Tibet but also known wherever ethnic Tibetan groups are found in India, Bhutan, Nepal and further abroad...
, and China
Music of China
Chinese Music has been made since the dawn of Chinese civilization with documents and artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture as early as the Zhou Dynasty...
.
Kaufmann was the composer of an opera, The Scarlet Letter, which was very well received at its premiere by the Opera Department of the Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
School of Music in the early 1960s.
Works
- Altindien (Musikgeschichte in Bildern, Bd. 2 ; Musik des Alterums, Lfg. 8. Leipzig, Deutscher Verlag fur Musik, 1981)
- Musical Notations of the Orient: Notational Systems of Continental, East, South and Central Asia (Indiana University Humanities Series, no. 60. Bloomington, Indiana University PressIndiana University PressIndiana University Press, also known as IU Press, is an academic publisher at Indiana University that specializes in the humanities and social sciences. It was founded in 1950. Its headquarters are located in Bloomington, Indiana....
, 1967) - Musical References in the Chinese Classics (Detroit, Information Coordinators, 1976)
- The Ragas of North India (Bloomington, Indiana University PressIndiana University PressIndiana University Press, also known as IU Press, is an academic publisher at Indiana University that specializes in the humanities and social sciences. It was founded in 1950. Its headquarters are located in Bloomington, Indiana....
, 1968) - The Ragas of South India: A Catalogue of Scalar Material (Bloomington, Indiana University PressIndiana University PressIndiana University Press, also known as IU Press, is an academic publisher at Indiana University that specializes in the humanities and social sciences. It was founded in 1950. Its headquarters are located in Bloomington, Indiana....
, 1976) - Selected Musical Terms of Non-Western Cultures: A Notebook-Glossary (Detroit Studies in Music Bibliography, no. 65. Warren, MI, armonie Park Press, 1990)
- Tibetan Buddhist Chant: Musical Notations and Interpretations of a Song Book by the Bkah Brgyud Pa and Sa Skya Pa Sects (Indiana University Humanities Series, no. 70. Bloomington, Indiana University PressIndiana University PressIndiana University Press, also known as IU Press, is an academic publisher at Indiana University that specializes in the humanities and social sciences. It was founded in 1950. Its headquarters are located in Bloomington, Indiana....
, 1975)
External links
- Walter Kaufmann Archive at Indiana University.